Temple stonework in Cambodia
What is on

Cambodian festivals and events

What is on, when it falls, and whether to plan a trip around it or step out of its way.

In short

Cambodia's biggest festivals follow the lunar calendar, so the dates move each year. Khmer New Year in April, Pchum Ben in September or October and the Water Festival in November are the three that will change how a trip feels - for better, and occasionally for worse.

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Phnom Penh - three days

Water Festival (Bon Om Touk)

23-25 November 2026

Bon Om Touk marks the reversal of the Tonle Sap river with three days of boat racing on the Phnom Penh riverfront. It falls on the full moon of the Khmer month of Kadeuk, usually in November. In 2026 it runs 23 to 25 November. The city fills, and hotels book out months ahead.

Where
Phnom Penh riverfront, with smaller races elsewhere
When
The full moon of Kadeuk - usually November, occasionally late October
How long
Three days
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Nationwide - three days

Khmer New Year (Choul Chnam Thmey)

14-16 April 2027

Khmer New Year falls in mid-April, usually 14 to 16 April, and effectively closes the country for three days as people return to their home provinces. It is joyful, it is very hot, and the cities empty while the countryside fills.

When
Mid-April, normally 14 to 16 April
How long
Three days officially, longer in practice
Where to be
The provinces and small towns; Phnom Penh empties out
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Nationwide - fifteen days

Pchum Ben (Ancestors Day)

Pchum Ben is a fifteen-day period of offerings to ancestors, falling in September or October depending on the lunar calendar, with the final three days as public holidays. It is quieter and more inward than the other festivals, and pagodas fill before dawn.

When
September or October, set by the lunar calendar - the exact dates move each year
How long
Fifteen days, of which the last three are public holidays
Where
Pagodas everywhere; people return to their family province
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